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Old 02-02-2025, 09:41 PM
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November 29th, 1993, "Sanctuary"

Fiver by Sa'ar Chasm

The Episode

KIRA: I know, but I just spent the whole day yesterday
SISKO: Talking to Minister Rozahn about irrigating the Trilar Peninsula.


Why is Kira involved in the day to day operations on Bajor? She's supposed to be the liaison between Bajor and Starfleet. Bajor tells her what they need from Starfleet, she coordinates with Sisko about getting it to them. She should be more worried about how station trade affects Bajor.

KIRA: Every time I talk to one of the ministers I promise myself I'm not going to lose control. But then they give me some stupid bureaucratic excuse for why something isn't getting done, and I get so, so
SISKO: Frustrated.
KIRA: Oh Commander, I am way beyond frustrated. Bajor is in trouble.

Still? You'd think after the attempted military coup a formal constitution and government would be in the works by now. For that matter, why isn't Sisko more involved in the rebuilding effort? Wouldn't that be part of the "do everything short of violating the Prime Directive to get Bajor ready for Federation membership" mission that Picard gave him?

QUARK: So while they're being mesmerized, they're not gambling, they're not eating, they're barely drinking. Profits are down across the board.
KIRA: He just started yesterday.
QUARK: I monitor my gross income hourly. My hourly figures become my indicators. My indicators become my projections. And my projections based on the last twenty six hours show an unprecedented decline in profits.

So kick him out. You'll never convince me that the station doesn't have room for a proper performance hall.

VARANI: Have you spoken to Minister Bolka about my idea to rebuild the Jalanda Forum?
KIRA: I mentioned it to him. He's got a lot on his mind.
VARANI: You must keep trying. Bajorans must reclaim their artistic heritage if they ever hope to regain their sense of self-worth.
KIRA: Next time I talk to the Minister I'll bring it up again, but I can't promise anything.

This is a valid point, too bad it won't be explored any more.

O'BRIEN: Commander, sensors are picking up elevated neutrino readings. A ship's coming through the wormhole.

I'm feeling really petty today. If a ship coming through the wormhole always creates elevated neutrino reasons, why say the same thing twice?

SISKO: Something must be wrong with the Universal Translator. Chief?
O'BRIEN: It's working, Commander, but for some reason it's having a hard analyzing their language patterns. Their syntax and their grammatical structure must be completely unlike anything in our database.

Ugh. If it can translate the Companion and Tamarian, I jolly well hope that it can translate any humanoid speech. This plot point is accomplishing absolutely nothing.

HANEEK: (pointing at the dress) Intaowa. Intaowa.
SISKO: Dress. It's called a dress.
HANEEK: Intaowa.
KIRA: Intaowa?
(Tumak picks up an item and walks away with it)
ODO: I'm afraid you'll have to put that back.

And one again our heroes are idiots. Until you can talk to these people, you don't let them on the Promenade. Furthermore any unknown Gamma Quadrant species should get a once-over by Bashir before they're allowed on the Promenade anyway.

(Tumak recoils from Bashir, so Haneek gives the regenerator to Kira)
KIRA: I'm sorry. I'm not the doctor.

Kira's not a doctor, but I expect any freedom fighter to be able to work a dermal regenerator. Once again time is being wasted.

HANEEK: Men are much too emotional to be leaders. They're always fighting among themselves. It's their favourite thing to do. I'm sorry. I hope I haven't offended anyone.

We already have too much to cover here, overcoming misandry just won't fit in the allotted time.

ODO: And when we find them, what then? This station only holds seven thousand people.

I was going to raise a fuss about how small this number is, but when I remembered it's size compared to the E-D and how much is cargo holds and stuff that you can't convert to quarters I guess it's not so bad. In any case, we're too early in the series for full capacity to be supported. There would still be parts of the station that are being renovated. Remember that "Civil Defense" is a year from now and they act like that portion of the station wasn't touched until now.

NOG: What is entomology?
JAKE: The study of bugs.
NOG: You mean she wants to be a chef?

We needed this joke in this episode.

VARANI: Please tell her my heart goes out to her and her people. Tell her how much Bajorans everywhere regret having to refuse their request.
KIRA: Aren't you being a little premature?
VARANI: Am I? You know what the provisional government's answer is going to be.
KIRA: These are people who've lost everything, Varani.

This is a HUGE misstep. The episode started with Kira talking about how Bajor is still in crisis. They can't even help themselves yet, much less an influx of refugees.

Furthermore Bajor isn't the only M-class planet in the system. The planet we call Bajor is more formally Bajor XI. We know that Bajor VIII has colonies with a few thousand people, plenty of room for immigrants.

And even if there were a dozen empty M-class planets in the system, Bajor still has the right to not let the Skrreeans immigrate here.

SORAD: What is Bajor to do if your people start dying?
HANEEK: I thought I made that clear. We are not expecting your help.
ROZAHN: Do you really think we could stand by and do nothing? We would feel obligated to help with food, with clothing, with whatever it would take.
SORAD: And where would that aid come from? Our resources are already depleted. To help you would mean depriving our own people.

Exactly. There is no way that the Skrreeans can live on their own without external support. At least not before A LOT of resources are devoted to setting up a city, treat all of their medical ailments, educating them as to how economics work in the Alpha Quadrant, etc.

JAKE: My dad says you're probably going to Draylon Two.
TUMAK: Does he?
JAKE: Yeah. Sounds like a nice place.
TUMAK: Do you want to move there?
JAKE: No.
TUMAK: Neither do I.

That's not a fair question. Jake is not a refugee. You are. Take what is offered to you and don't complain unless you're also being exploited.











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mudshark: Nate's just being...Nate.
Zeke: It comes nateurally to him.

mudshark: I don't expect Nate to make sense, really -- it's just a bad idea.

Sa'ar Chasm on the 5M.net forum: Sit back, relax, and revel in the insanity.

Adam Savage: I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Crow T. Robot: Oh, stop pretending there's a plot. Don't cheapen yourself further.
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Old 02-02-2025, 09:42 PM
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HANEEK: The thing I don't understand is why you pretended to be my friend.
KIRA: I wasn't pretending.
HANEEK: Ah. So you are my friend until I need you.

I repeat-at what point are we supposed to like these people? You don't ask someone you just met if you can sponge off them. Duh.

HANEEK: You betrayed me, Kira.

Kira betrayed you...how? I despise people who use the "if you don't give me everything I want you're a heartless monster" tactic. I understand how this is supposed to be a metaphor for present-day refugees, but doesn't work.

HANEEK: You still believe we would have been a burden to your people?
KIRA: Yes.
HANEEK: I think you've made a terrible mistake. All of you. Maybe we could have helped you. Maybe we could have helped each other. The Skrreeans are farmers, Kira. You have a famine on your planet. Perhaps we could have made that peninsula bloom again. We'll never know, will we? Fifty years of Cardassian rule has made you all frightened and suspicious. I feel sorry for you. You were right. Bajor is not Kentanna.

And once again the underlying issues aren't resolved because the episode ran out of time.

Perhaps the Skrreeans are great farmers on their planet, but who says they'd be great farmers on your planet?

The Fiver

Kira: Quark, I'm extremely busy. What do you want?
Quark: It's about the Bajoran entertainer you made me hire...
Kira: You caused me to miss my perm appointment for this?
Quark: Whose idea was it to hire Vedek Yanni? Everyone's asleep!

Yanni is still performing today. That surprised me.

Kira: Captain, we've rescued these people from a ship that came careening through the wormhole, but the Universal Translator's on the fritz.
Sisko: Let me try. Hi there.
Haneek: Bah weep grah nah weep ninibong?

Ah, yes, the Universal Greeting from Transformers.

Kira: And here we have the Circus Maximus. Please keep your hands to yourself.
Tumak: Oo! Ee! Ooh ah ah!
Odo: No, you can't have that.
Tumak: Ting! Tang!
Odo: No, you can't have that either.
Tumak: Walla walla bingbang!

"Witch Doctor" too? Any excuse to use nonsense words, I guess.

Odo: How strange... they seem to be a matriarchal culture.
Sisko: And the men seem utterly subservient to the women.
Kira: I--
Odo: Don't even say it.

What was Kira going to say? I was expecting a Betazoid joke, or at least an "Angel One" joke!

Haneek: Now we are seeking our Promised Land.
O'Brien: I hope it doesn't take forty years.
Bashir: Their leaders are women. They'll stop and ask for directions.

Another creaky joke. Does the "men won't stop to ask for directions" bit have any life to it at this point?

Odo: Nog, what did you do to make him so angry at you?
Nog: Well, uh... you know how their skin flakes off? I tried to sell him a dustpan and broom.
Tumek: You're a funny man. I'll kill you last.

It's only thanks to the Nostalgia Critic that I recognize this "Commando" joke. You know when I said I'd kill you last? I LIED.

Nog: Cool, the new wanted posters are up. This is only reason I like coming to your office. Hey, this guy's got the death sentence in twelve systems.
Odo: He'll be careful.
Nog: He'll be dead!

Star Wars too? Were we supposed to get Bingo cards at the start of this?

Nog: I broke Rule of Acquisition #25: Thou shalt not get caught.

RoA #25 is really "A wise man can hear profit in the wind." I can't find a Rule that would fit this punchline better, the best I can find is RoA 6: "Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity."

Memory Alpha

* Second mention of the Dominion.
* In this episode the Bajorans clap human style instead of Bajoran style. Oops.

Nitpicker's Guide

* Phil asks why the Federation wouldn't help with said famine and suggests that's it's really a simpler food shortage.
* How did these refugees get ships that can hold three million people? Are they more militaristic than they claim?
* In this episode the Occupation was stated to be fifty years, Phil points out that it was earlier stated to be sixty years. I'm more willing to take everything stated in "Emissary" with a grain of salt, that stuff was thought up before the series even started.
* Phil talks for a but about the Universal Translator and how it can make holographic projections of lips forming English sounds.
* In prior episodes the railings on the upper level of the Promenade had two levels so Jake and Nog could sit and lean on the lower rail. But now the lower rail is gone and they could easily fall to their death. I wonder what the real-world reason is for removing the rail.
* Phil wonders if the Replimat is free and why people would eat at Quark's if it was. I'm sure the Replimat is free and people eat at Quark's because they're already there to drink and gamble. Plus there are always snobs who think real food tastes better.
__________________
mudshark: Nate's just being...Nate.
Zeke: It comes nateurally to him.

mudshark: I don't expect Nate to make sense, really -- it's just a bad idea.

Sa'ar Chasm on the 5M.net forum: Sit back, relax, and revel in the insanity.

Adam Savage: I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Crow T. Robot: Oh, stop pretending there's a plot. Don't cheapen yourself further.
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